Linshcosteus genus

Linshcosteus (Distant 1904) - Six species:

1. Linshcosteus carnifex (India)
2. Linshcosteus chota (India)
3. Linshcosteus confumus (India)
4. Linshcosteus costalis (India)
5. Linshcosteus kali (India)
6. Linshcosteus karupus (India)

No Chagas disease in India

Distribution:

Characteristics:

- medium size (17-28 mm)

- body conspicuously flattened

- overal color black

- head and thorax densely beset with setiferous granules

- setae short and inconspicuous

- rostrum shorter than head, with first and third segment short, second elongate

- fore lobe of pronotum without discal or lateral tubercles

- prosternum without stridulatory sulcus

- abdomen very wide with lateral portions of urotergites exposed, not covered by hemelytra

Biology:

- silvatic, found under rocks and boulders

Linshcosteus carnifex (Distant 1904)

Characteristics:

- length about 26 mm

- humeral angles prominent

- anteocular region about 5 times as long as postocular

- genae extending beyond level of apex of clypeus

Biology:

- unknwon

Linshcosteus chota (Lent & Wygodzinsky 1979)

Characteristics:

- about 17 mm

- humeral angles prominent

- anteocular region about 5 times as long as postocular

- genae not extending beyond level of apex of clypeus

Biology:

- unknwon

Linshcosteus confumus (Ghauri 1976)

Characteristics:

- length of 22-23 mm

- humeral angles not prominent

- anteocular region not more than 4 times as long as postocular

- costal margin of hemelytra broadly black, concolorous with rest of hemelytra

- apex of second rostral segment attaining or surpassing level of anterior margin of eyes, in lateral view, third extending distinctly beyond level of posterior margin of eyes

- anterolateral projections of pronotum small, subconical, not pointed apically

Biology:

- under boulders and rocks, associated with L. costalis

Linshcosteus costalis (Ghauri 1976)

Characteristics:

- length of 20.5-21.5 mm

- humeral angles not prominent

- anteocular region not more than 4 times as long as postocular

- costal margin of hemelytra broadly light reddish or yellowish brown

Biology:

- under boulders and rocks, associated with L. confumus

Linshcosteus kali (Lent & Wygodzinsky 1979)

Characteristics:

- length of 19-20 mm

- humeral angles not prominent

- anteocular region not more than 4 times as long as postocular

- costal margin of hemelytra broadly black, concolorous with rest of hemelytra

- apex of second rostral segment falling short of level of anterior margin of eyes, in lateral view, third not extending beyond level of hind margin of eyes

Biology:

- unknwon

Linshcosteus karupus (Galvão, Patterson, Rocha & Jurberg 2002)

(from Schaefer 2003)

Characteristics:

- length of 21-23 mm

- humeral angles not prominent

- anteocular region not more than 4 times as long as postocular

- costal margin of hemelytra broadly black, concolorous with rest of hemelytra

- apex of second rostral segment attaining or surpassing level of anterior margin of eyes, in lateral view, third attaining or slightly surpassing level of posterior margin of eyes

- anterolateral projections of pronotum very prominent, pointed apically

Biology:

- found in deep crevices between rocks, in a region of semi-arid scrub jungle

- able to feed on pigeons, mice and humans in laboratory

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Distant WL. 1904. The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Rhynchota, II (Heteroptera). Taylor & Francis, London.

Dujardin JP, Schofield CJ & Panzera F. 2000. Les vecteurs de la maladie de Chagas. Recherches taxonomiques, biologiques et génétiques. Académie Royales des Sciences d'Outre-Mer.

Galvão C, McAloon FM, Rocha DS, Schaefer CW, Patterson J & Jurberg J. 2005. Description of eggs and nymphs of Linshcosteus karupus (Hemiptera: reduviidae: Triatominae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 98: 861-872.

Ghauri MSK. 1976. The Indian triatome genus Linshcosteus (Reduviidae). Systematic Entomology 1: 183-187.

Lent H & Jurberg J. 1983. Estudio comparative da genitalia externa masculine de Linshcosteus costalis Ghauri e L. kali Lent & Wygodzinsky (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Mem. do Instituto Oswaldo cruz 78: 421-429.

Schaefer CW & Coscarôn MC. 2001. The status of Linshcosteus in the Triatomine (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 38: 862-867.

Lent H & Wygodzinsky P. 1979. Revision of the Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae), and their significance as vectors of Chagas disease. Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. 163 (Art. 3): 125-520.